Treatment How did you decide to take antidepressants?

[dalpat077]

Yeah. I've been feeling very bad about this thread and wondering how things have been going with the OP (@thegreenhand) seeing as I came out here guns blazing at how great I felt after starting with generic Fluoxetine. Didn't last long. And because I'd been on this these years ago and had absolutely no issue I never once ever bothered to check for side effects and drug interactions before. Well to my surprise this time around my experience totally different. Had the absolute opposite effect this time around and the total opposite effect of what the deal was supposed to be. The plan was that they'd give me a hop, skip, and jump in my step and get my mind right. Not a fucking chance. This time around I had just about every side effect listed with this shit. The absolute worst being that I'd practically flat lined as a human being mood wise. Absolutely tired and lethargic and spent most of the days yawning my fucking head off uncontrollably. Oh and they potentiate Alprazolam by up to 4x (that I never knew but true story). So I'm done. Not what I wanted i.e. promised myself I'd stay on them for 3 - 6 months but just couldn't. Was pretty dissapointing to be honest. And especially seeing as I came out guns blazing here about Prozac many times around the forums as well as Alprazolam. So my theory of well if they don't work then simply up the dosage. Nope. Doesn't work that way. The side effects become extremely pronounced rendering the entire idea useless. And for sure I know I got pushed into serotonin syndrome on more than one occasion (but that's another long story and not exactly pertinent to this thread).

Anyway. I've done my penance here on this shit and on this thread and topic. Been thinking about starting a blog on all of this shit because in the last two years or so I've for sure gotten some very different experiences than before with Fluoxetine and Alprazolam and Zopiclone. May be of use (warning) to some. And worth mentioning we're talking about as prescribed and at therapeutic doses of all i.e. no abuse intended nor embarked upon. Totally different experience and outcome from some ten years ago anyway. Not what I was expecting.

 

[dalpat077]

xanax.Somewhere even initial AD treatment comes with benzos in the beginning

Yeah. And that's a big problem as I see it now i.e. very seldom is the Xanax (Alprazolam) prescription only "in the beginning". It's usually for as long as the AD prescription (at least where I'm from anyway). And it's counter intuitive actually. I've got a post about this somewhere else around these parts. "In the beginning" because some ADs cause insomnia and anxiety "in the beginning" e.g. during the first week. That's why the Xanax (only "in the beginning"). After that and if concomitant use continues it becomes a case of diminishing returns where the benzos. are actually negating the effect of the AD. Then the shit show starts i.e. because the AD isn't working then it'll be deemed as "treatment resistant depression" and the fuck around with alternates starts.

 

[thegreenhand]

How's it going now mate?

It’s alright. Ended up stopping the venlafaxine after about 2-3 weeks. I know it takes more like double that to reach “full effect” or whatever but I couldn’t tolerate it for that long. The sleep got a little better but not great. And the agitation never subsided.

I found myself craving (and sometimes using) alcohol a lot more than I typically do. I think perhaps as a result of the agitation I found myself craving it to relax me. But that’s obviously not a good long term strategy.

I have another appointment in about a week or so I think. Last time she mentioned duloxetine as an alternative. But really don’t wanna try another SNRI if my experience with this one was so bad.

I’ll ask about esketamine again and she what she says now that I’ve tried a few different meds and none have really worked (except the mirtazipine which has been ok). She probably won’t prescribe it though lol

 

[thegreenhand]

@dalpat077 yeah meds can have a very different effect when taken at different times in life. I suppose the brain changes over time and thus the experience of the drug does too. Sorry it stopped working for you

 

[Robi]

Yeah. I've been feeling very bad about this thread and wondering how things have been going with the OP (@thegreenhand) seeing as I came out here guns blazing at how great I felt after starting with generic Fluoxetine. Didn't last long. And because I'd been on this these years ago and had absolutely no issue I never once ever bothered to check for side effects and drug interactions before. Well to my surprise this time around my experience totally different. Had the absolute opposite effect this time around and the total opposite effect of what the deal was supposed to be. The plan was that they'd give me a hop, skip, and jump in my step and get my mind right. Not a fucking chance. This time around I had just about every side effect listed with this shit. The absolute worst being that I'd practically flat lined as a human being mood wise. Absolutely tired and lethargic and spent most of the days yawning my fucking head off uncontrollably. Oh and they potentiate Alprazolam by up to 4x (that I never knew but true story). So I'm done. Not what I wanted i.e. promised myself I'd stay on them for 3 - 6 months but just couldn't. Was pretty dissapointing to be honest. And especially seeing as I came out guns blazing here about Prozac many times around the forums as well as Alprazolam. So my theory of well if they don't work then simply up the dosage. Nope. Doesn't work that way. The side effects become extremely pronounced rendering the entire idea useless. And for sure I know I got pushed into serotonin syndrome on more than one occasion (but that's another long story and not exactly pertinent to this thread).

Anyway. I've done my penance here on this shit and on this thread and topic. Been thinking about starting a blog on all of this shit because in the last two years or so I've for sure gotten some very different experiences than before with Fluoxetine and Alprazolam and Zopiclone. May be of use (warning) to some. And worth mentioning we're talking about as prescribed and at therapeutic doses of all i.e. no abuse intended nor embarked upon. Totally different experience and outcome from some ten years ago anyway. Not what I was expecting.

please if you are so inclined, create a blog, i very much value your thotz an opinions, you are a wealth of info, love following you

 

[dalpat077]

please if you are so inclined, create a blog, i very much value your thotz an opinions, you are a wealth of info, love following you

You say the nicest things. Check is in the post!

Yeah. Been seriously thinking about it. Main reason being is that in just over two years now I've experienced side-effects of as prescribed and used as such pharmaceuticals that I've had before and with no issues or side-effects. But this time around: it's been like with a clean slate i.e. not partying or drinking my head off for fun. Almost like a nice new squeaky clean clinical trial and human testing and with no extraneous factors or other substances. Point being: maybe I just never noticed these same side-effects last time around because I didn't give a shit and was partying my ass off. But of course: I do have to keep reminding myself that this is at least twelve years later and there is no way I'm the same person today that I was back then. So who knows. Pretty sure age plays a part. I know one thing for certain: there is no way that today I'd be able to drink the copious amounts of booze that I was able to back then even if I forced it down. I also know that now even 2mg of Alprazolam knocks me sideways (whereas back then my prescription was for 12mg per day and I could function AND drink). Guess all I'm saying really is that I've largely ignored looking up side-effects and interactions because there was never any need to do so back then. Now I've come to find out that those side-effects as listed (that we all tend to ignore thinking that the pharmaceutical companies are just making sure their asses are covered) can be very real. Suppose it also makes a difference in that I've been able to spend loads of time scouring the Internet and with a very clear mind and checking all of this shit out. In fairness to the medical profession: there's a pile of information out there now that simply wasn't around a decade or more ago.

 

[Robi]

You say the nicest things. Check is in the post!

Yeah. Been seriously thinking about it. Main reason being is that in just over two years now I've experienced side-effects of as prescribed and used as such pharmaceuticals that I've had before and with no issues or side-effects. But this time around: it's been like with a clean slate i.e. not partying or drinking my head off for fun. Almost like a nice new squeaky clean clinical trial and human testing and with no extraneous factors or other substances. Point being: maybe I just never noticed these same side-effects last time around because I didn't give a shit and was partying my ass off. But of course: I do have to keep reminding myself that this is at least twelve years later and there is no way I'm the same person today that I was back then. So who knows. Pretty sure age plays a part. I know one thing for certain: there is no way that today I'd be able to drink the copious amounts of booze that I was able to back then even if I forced it down. I also know that now even 2mg of Alprazolam knocks me sideways (whereas back then my prescription was for 12mg per day and I could function AND drink). Guess all I'm saying really is that I've largely ignored looking up side-effects and interactions because there was never any need to do so back then. Now I've come to find out that those side-effects as listed (that we all tend to ignore thinking that the pharmaceutical companies are just making sure their asses are covered) can be very real. Suppose it also makes a difference in that I've been able to spend loads of time scouring the Internet and with a very clear mind and checking all of this shit out. In fairness to the medical profession: there's a pile of information out there now that simply wasn't around a decade or more ago.

makes so much sense actually, looking forward to the check, you bright and shiney beautiful soul

 

[dalpat077]

@dalpat077 yeah meds can have a very different effect when taken at different times in life. I suppose the brain changes over time and thus the experience of the drug does too. Sorry it stopped working for you

Yeah. It's a bit disappointing to be honest. Had high hopes for good 'ol Fluoxetine. Dunno. Always wonder about this generics vs. originals shit. This time around it's an unknown and very cheap generic albeit legit. Every site that you look at will tell you that there is no difference other than the cost. Personally I've never been convinced of this. Only reason the generics are cheaper is because there are no expensive trials required. As long as the active ingredient is the same and it can be proved that the generic has the same efficacy as the original then they're good to go. And there's also no telling (in my opinion) as to what effect the inactive ingredients or fillers etc. will have on an individual. I'll probably get taken to the cleaners here for saying this all but it's a personal thing. I'm one of those that honestly does believe you get what you pay for (in other words: big pharma's absolute dream type of consumer/sheeple! ). Last time around it was Eli-Lily's OWN generic Fluoxetine. No problem. Results were great for years. And certainly don't remember them having the same effect as this stuff this time around. Because were that the case back then I'd have stopped taking the shit for sure.

Anyway. Not going to lose any sleep over this. For sure they got me out of a bad and dark place if only temporarily and at first although it seems to be holding out for now. So all good I guess. The end justifies the means I suppose. Mind you: Fluoxetine has the longest half life of these SSRIs. So considering it's only been about three weeks now since I decided to give them a miss who knows how much is left floating around? And actually and on the plus side: it's kinda opened my eyes to a few things. Fuck all of these medications. They're not treatments. Best case scenario: they're temporary relief from whatever may be ailing you at the time. Arguably and sometimes that's maybe good enough and what's needed at the time. Now for me to making such statements is quite something lemme tell ya!

I'm just shitting myself i.e. I'd hate to fucking find out after all these years that Cocaine doesn't have the same effect that it did some 15-20 years ago. I'd fucking lose my shit and will to live while stocking up on genuine Prozac! Then again: I've also come to the conclusion that a lot of the euphoria and/or pleasure that one gets out of psychoactive substances comes from mental state and frame of mind and setting (situation) at the time. I personally don't think it's 100% the pharmacological action of these substances. Booze probably the best example of this i.e. there were times, highly dependent on date, time, and place, where it'd be the shit but then other times where it'd just take you down. I've always wondered about that. Something that's perplexed me my entire life i.e. how come one day you can have a drink and it hits the spot (and you just instinctively know that fuck yeah this is gonna be a good nigh) then other times you can drink your head off and just end up feeling like shit and not get "on" no matter how hard you try (until you eventually admit defeat and realize that today isn't going to be one of those days).

 

[papercuts]

Yeah. It's a bit disappointing to be honest. Had high hopes for good 'ol Fluoxetine. Dunno. Always wonder about this generics vs. originals shit. This time around it's an unknown and very cheap generic albeit legit. Every site that you look at will tell you that there is no difference other than the cost. Personally I've never been convinced of this. Only reason the generics are cheaper is because there are no expensive trials required. As long as the active ingredient is the same and it can be proved that the generic has the same efficacy as the original then they're good to go. And there's also no telling (in my opinion) as to what effect the inactive ingredients or fillers etc. will have on an individual. I'll probably get taken to the cleaners here for saying this all but it's a personal thing. I'm one of those that honestly does believe you get what you pay for (in other words: big pharma's absolute dream type of consumer/sheeple! ). Last time around it was Eli-Lily's OWN generic Fluoxetine. No problem. Results were great for years. And certainly don't remember them having the same effect as this stuff this time around. Because were that the case back then I'd have stopped taking the shit for sure.

Anyway. Not going to lose any sleep over this. For sure they got me out of a bad and dark place if only temporarily and at first although it seems to be holding out for now. So all good I guess. The end justifies the means I suppose. Mind you: Fluoxetine has the longest half life of these SSRIs. So considering it's only been about three weeks now since I decided to give them a miss who knows how much is left floating around? And actually and on the plus side: it's kinda opened my eyes to a few things. Fuck all of these medications. They're not treatments. Best case scenario: they're temporary relief from whatever may be ailing you at the time. Arguably and sometimes that's maybe good enough and what's needed at the time. Now for me to making such statements is quite something lemme tell ya!

I'm just shitting myself i.e. I'd hate to fucking find out after all these years that Cocaine doesn't have the same effect that it did some 15-20 years ago. I'd fucking lose my shit and will to live while stocking up on genuine Prozac! Then again: I've also come to the conclusion that a lot of the euphoria and/or pleasure that one gets out of psychoactive substances comes from mental state and frame of mind and setting (situation) at the time. I personally don't think it's 100% the pharmacological action of these substances. Booze probably the best example of this i.e. there were times, highly dependent on date, time, and place, where it'd be the shit but then other times where it'd just take you down. I've always wondered about that. Something that's perplexed me my entire life i.e. how come one day you can have a drink and it hits the spot (and you just instinctively know that fuck yeah this is gonna be a good nigh) then other times you can drink your head off and just end up feeling like shit and not get "on" no matter how hard you try (until you eventually admit defeat and realize that today isn't going to be one of those days).

Totally agree. I'm always given generics and I've noticed a difference between brands of fluoxetine, gabapentin and baclofen when I was completely without opiates long term.

Throw in a stronger drug and I don't notice any more.

I've asked the pharmacist for certain brands before, but they just stock what they can get. Their attitude is I'm completely deluded in my opinion that different brands have different effects, intended effects or side effects, both of those vary.

 

[relentlessgenjin]

Right now I guess I figured I will take the easy way out with cannabis and get high.

My choices no one else's landed me in the position I am in so my thinking and deeds make me depressed cannabis makes me ok with it I think a little mending to my living mannerisms and we can skip seeing a doctor about a bad case of the blues

 

[dalpat077]

Their attitude is I'm completely deluded in my opinion that different brands have different effects, intended effects or side effects, both of those vary.

Same here. And then they still have the audacity to argue the point. Like you use benzodiazepines so what the fuck do you know (type of thing).

Actually (seems as though I'm already writing the intended blog here):

We all just assume that this pharmaceutical business is an exact science. It's far from it. I went down this rabbit hole not too long ago to see how legit pills are manufactured. You may be surprised to learn that they test the shit in batches and there's a certain margin of error allowed as to the amount of active ingredient contained in a pill. In other words: we just presume that because it's legit pharma. that there's absolutely no possibility of there being hot spots in a single pill or capsule. Nope. That's not how it works. Like we assume that pilots cannot make mistakes! I think I've reasonably tested this myself thanks again to what's transpired. I just figured that cutting a 1mg Alrpazolam pill in quarters would guarantee 4 x 0 25mg per quarter. Then one day I got to thinking "says who?". And then of course spent the rest of that week going down the pill manufacturing process rabbit hole!

And I subscribe to the alerts that come from drugs.com. The number of fucking manufacturer/FDA recalls per week are astounding to me. Incorrectly packaged/labelled pharmaceuticals, out of limit variances in the active ingredients, like I said: definitely not an exact science. And it begs the question: who is to say that one manufacturer is as good as the next one when it comes to quality control and manufacturing? I mean: we're talking about tiny amounts of active ingredients here for the most part.

Where this came to the fore for me: once I was below 0.5mg Alprazolam and going down to 0.25mg I couldn't figure how come some days I'd "feel" withdrawal coming on (taking a quarter of a cut up 1mg tablet) while other days no problem at all. Then I figured well fuck this so started refilling the prescription with 0.25mg pills. And hey presto and as if by magic: never had a problem again. Tells me that either I cannot cut straight OR that each quarter of a 1mg Alprazolam tablet does not contain exactly 0.25mg of Alprazolam. There is no other reasonable explanation for this phenomenon. Well none that I can think of anyway.

Suppose my point is that these things are manufactured in the hundreds of thousands and they sure as fuck are not testing each and every pill that comes off of the line.

And as if that's not all bad enough: some of these pharmaceutical companies farm out production to some or the other plant.

 

[papercuts]

And then they still have the audacity to argue the point. Like you use benzodiazepines so what the fuck do you know (type of thing).

Yeah, getting buprenorphine at the same time doesn't do my credibility any good in their eyes, lol.

 

[menidiatis]

After doing psychotherapy for 1 year and having seen tremendous improvement in my social anxiety but no improvement in my depression, I decided to ask doc for antidepressant

He prescribed mirtazapine and my life was saved

 

[n3ophy7e]

After doing psychotherapy for 1 year and having seen tremendous improvement in my social anxiety but no improvement in my depression, I decided to ask doc for antidepressant

He prescribed mirtazapine and my life was saved

I'm really glad to hear you've had good results with mirtazapine I was like that with duloxetine, it legitimately saved my life.